The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday sought the Delhi government’s stand on deregistration of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years plying in the national capital region.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar made the observation after it was informed by the counsel for the Delhi government that over 3,000 such vehicles were impounded last year.
“Make your stand clear so that we may consider whether to ask the registrar of the vehicles to deregister all such vehicles,” the tribunal said.
The government’s counsel said in the absence of a law in this regard, the impounded vehicles got relief from the magisterial court.
The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on July 18.
The NGT had earlier taken the Delhi government to task for its failure to implement its order banning old vehicles from plying on the roads here. The government had also drawn the court’s flak over incidents of waste burning and dust pollution in the national capital.
The Delhi government and other authorities have also been directed to create awareness about air pollution caused by vehicular emissions and burning of solid waste, and issue advertisements on the lines of the odd-even scheme.
